Safety device for engine-starters.



R. VARLEY.

SAFETY DEVKCE FOR ENGINE STARTERS,. APPLICATION FILED 1AN.27.1916.

1,257,1 57. y Peeented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

FIG. 4

INVENTOR H. VARLEY.

SFEY DEVICE FR ENGINE STARERS.

PPLCATION HLED JAN. 27. 1916.

yejgented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NVENTO? RICHARD or ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

1,257,157. fsie `vii-.rtrioi'i of, Letters Patent.

non ENGINEsTAnTEns.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

appnoatmnfaiea :military-27, 191e. serian No. 74,689.

To all whom z'tnzay concern;v Be it known that I, Riorlann VARLEY, a citizen of the United States ofrAmerica,re-

siding at Englewood, in the vcounty of 'Bergen and State of NewJersey,-.have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Engine-Starters, of which the following is .fa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to the power equipment of autovehicles and it is concerned particularly with the provision of means for safe-guarding the establishment of the driving connection between the engine and the engine starting apparatus, so that it shall be impossible to effectively manipulate the mechanism (mechanical or electrical) for placing the starter element in operative position or condition while the engineshaft is moving.

It is a further object of my invention to accomplish the above result without the ernployment of complicated mechanism. Therefore, to the above ends, my invention consists in the provision of means, hereinafter` claimed and, more generally stated. comprising safety lock apparatus sensitively responsive to movement of the engine shaft, whereby the starting lever or other mechanism for placing the starter in operative relationship with the engine, is blocked against effective movement while the engine shaft or its starting gear is turning.

I will now describe my invention so thatothers skilled in the art to which it appertains may understand and construct the same, it being premised, however, that changes may be made without departing from my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of apparatus involving my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the device in the condition it assumes to block operative connections between the starter and engine; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view partly in section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a similar View, the parts assuming the positions shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is an elevational View largely diagrammatic showing my device associated with starter equipment employing a motor having a shiftable armature; Fig. 7 is a similar view but in which the startmg motor` instead of having a shiftable armature, is provided with a shiftable pinion shaft; and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing my invention employed in connection with a starting motor having an automatically operative pinion shift.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the

numeral 2 indicates a movable element or shaft 'journaledy in a suitable frame 3 that has an extending fixed sleeve or journal 4. Fixed to rotate with the shaft 2 is a longitudinally movable flanged-like head 5 carried in the face of which is a friction pad or ring 6, which may be formed of fiber or any other suitable material. Disposed between the friction pad 6 and a thrust bearing 7 and pivotally freely surrounding or journaled'on the sleeve 4 is a disk member or friction plate 8 that has a radially extending finger 9 longitudinally slotted as at 10 to receive a stop finger or blade 11 of a lever arm 11a pivotally supported by means of shaft 12, in a casing 13 which substantially incloses the mechanism already described. This casing also forms a mounting for a clip-spring 14 the ends of which are symmetrically positioned by means 'of stops or lugs 15 of the casing 13, at opposite sides' of the finger 9 of the friction disk 8, so as to normally hold the said finger in position for alinement of the slot 10 in the finger and the pivotal blade 11. Also pivotally supported by a member 16 in the casing 13 is a thrust spring or yielding finger 16a that rests against a stud 5a extending through the casing from the head 5.

The'pad 6 of the mally held out of frictional engagement with the disk or plate 8 by means of a coil spring 17 interposed between the head 5 and the end of the shaft 2. When the lever 11a is rocked or shifted in the direction to cause the stop finger or blade 11 to move toward the slotted finger 9, a nose or lug 18 of said lever 11 will engage a similar lug or nose 19 on the member 16 which, by reason of the relative disposition of the said lugs 18 and 19 will place the spring 16 under such tension against the stud 5, as to overcome the tension of the spring 17:, thus urging the friction pad 6 into engagement with the disk or plate 8. Should the shaft 2 be rotating, such engagement of the head 5 will set up rotatory shifting of the disk or plate 8 with the result that the finger 9, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5, will shift (in either direcflanged head 5 is nor-k tion according to the direction of rotation of the shaft 2) against the tension of the spring 14 to a position where said finger 9 will block continued movement of the lever l1a by reason of engagement of the blade or stop linger 11 with the end of the finger 9; any suitable means serving to limit the movement of the finger 9, as the size of the opening 13a in the casing 13, through which the finger 9 projects, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Should the shaft 2'be stationary, the stop finger or blade 11 will pass into the slot 10 of the finger 9 (the normal position of which is shown in Figs. 2 and 4) so as to permit of continued movement of the lever 11a. The slot 10 in the finger 9 is preferably just the width of the stop blade or finger 11 so that the end of the finger 9 will, at either side of the slot, present an effective abutment to the blade 11 even though the finger 9 shift to a positionl of very slight angular degree. Y

The lever 11l or the shaft 12 thereof is so connected or associated with the starting apparatus or associated mechanism (mechanical or electrical) that any attempt to place such starting apparatus in operative connection with the engine, will set up movement of said lever 113 and it will be well understood that the shaft 2 may constitute part of any of the apparatus of the usual power equipment of an autovehicle or it may be a special shaft, driven from the engine, so that any movement of the engine shaft or of the starting gear directly or indirectly connected to the-.engine shaft, will set up rotation -of the said shaft 2 with the result that any attempt to bring the starter into connection with the engine While the en ine shaft or its starting gear is turning, wil be prevented by the friction lock, above described, responding to block the action of the lever 11, Thus in Fig. 6 I indicate a starting motor 2O having a shiftable armature 21 carrying a starter pinion 22 that is brought into and out of mesh with the starting gear 23 of the engine by shifting of the 'armature through well understood shift mechanism 24 which is connected to the lever 11*l of the mechanism above described. Attempt to shift the pinion 22 into engage- 'ment with the gear 23 of the engine while the gear 23 is moving, will be blocked by locking of the lever 11 in the manner above set forth.

In Fig. 7 another type of motor starter y is shown. Instead of4 a shiftable armature the motor is provided with a hollow shaft V25 which drives the pinion 22, while anor its shaft 12 may actuate the switch mechanism for connecting the electric starting motor with its source of energy or battery, so that it will be impossible to complete the motor energizing circuit while the shaft 2 of the lock mechanism above described, and therefore the vengine shaft or its starting gear, is moving. In this connection the starting motor may be of the type whereby' coupling of the engine and starting motor is automatically effected through driving of the starting motor. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. '8 wherein the motorv 20 has its shaft provided with a screw feed 27 that operates to shift the pinion 22 into and out of mesh with the engine gear 23, in a well known manner. In this View I have shown the lever 11l as operating through its shaft 12 to make and break the electric circuit of the motor and battery 28 through switch mechanism 29; the arrangement being such that the finger 9, above described, will block movement of the lever 11 when the engine gear 23 is turning, so as to prevent completion of the circuit through contacts 30 and 31.

It will of course be understood that my invention is not limited in employment with any particular starter system. The arrange- Aratus directly associated with the engmc shaft or With the starter mechanism, or it may be in the form of independent mechanism connected to the pump shaft or timer shaft or a special shaft in the ower equipment, with its control suitab y connected with the manual control of the starter apparatus.

The apparatus shown and described is delicately responsive Ato movement of the engine shaft or its starting gear and yet sufficiently i'ugged to withstand the strains incident to abusive service.

The broad principle of locking the starter against connection with the engine during rotation of the engine shaft is covered by my Letters Patent No. 1,072,279, granted to me on September 2nd, 1913, and I therefore do not broadly claim the same herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In safety apparatus for starter sys,- tems, a rotating shaft, a shiftable member, driven thereby, a movable element, and friction means associated with said first member and responsive to rotation of the shaft, to limit the movement of said second element.

2. In safety apparatus' for starter systems, a rotatable member, a movable element, a friction device for limiting the movement of said element, and means for bringing said rotatable member into and out of engagement with said device for the purpose set forth.

3. In safety apparatus for starter systems, a rotatable member, a manually movable element, a rotatable member for limiting the movement of said element, frictionally operatively responsive to movement of the rotatablel member, and means for bringing said rotatablemember into frictional engagement with said second member.

4. In safety apparatus for starter Systems, a rotatable member, a manually movable element, a rotatable -member for blocking movement of said element, operatively responsive to movement of the rotatable member, and means for bringing said rotatable member into operative engagement with said second member.

5. In safety apparatus for starter systems, a rotatable member, a movable element, a

locking member for limiting the movement4 of said movable element and comprising a member responsive under engagement with the rotating member to move into a position arrestive of' movement of thesaid element,

and means for bringin the rotatable memper into engagement vvlth the lockmg mem- 6. In safety apparatus for vstarter systems, a rotatable member, a movable element, and a locking member for limiting the movement of said movable element and responsive under frictional engagement With the rotating member, to move to a posltion arrestive of movement .of said element and,

means for bringin the rotatable member into engagement with the locking member.

7. In safety apparatus for starter systems, a rotatable mem er, a movable element, a lockingmember for limiting the movement of said element land responsive under engagement With the rotating member, to move into a position arrestive of movement of said element, means for bringing the rotatable member into engagement with the locking member, and means for returning said locking member to an ineffective position.

8. In safety apparatus for starter systems, a rotatable member, a movable element, a third member for limiting the movement of said element and responsive under engagement with the rotating member and having said element and responsive under engagement with the rotating member, and having effective and ineffective positions with respect to the movable element, means for bringing said rotatable member into operative engagement with said third member to cause it to assume said effective lock position, and means for returning said third member to said ineffective position.

10. In safety apparatus for engine starters, the combination with an internal combustion engine and starter mechanism, of a member movable to eifect connection of the starter and engine, a shaft driven by the engine, a friction element driven thereby, and a second friction element movable under engagement with the driven friction element to block movement of the said movable member, one of said friction elements being movable into engagement with the other Epon movement of the said movable mem- 11. In a safety device for engine starters, a movable element forming part of starter equipment, a shaft, a lock member shiftable for blocking movement of said element and operatively associated with the shaft and having an ineffective position and shiftable in either direction from said ineffective p`o sition to an effective position upon movement of the shaft in a corresponding direction.

In ltestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RICHARD VARLEY. 

